Our research plans continue to concern bringing chemical and ultrastructural data to bear upon evolutionary problems in the plant kingdom. Determining the role pigments, terpenoids, alkaloids, phenolics, glucosinolates and quinones play in plant-animal co-evolution is correlated with our goals of utilizing natural products as genetic markers. Establishing the biological activities of different classes of natural products, especially their antiherbivore, antimicrobial, allergenic contact dermatitis and antitumor activities remains a major aspect of our program. We will pursue the application of patterns of flavonoids, terpenoids, etc. as genetic markers in a large number of genera in the Compositae and in selected genera in other families. Our current goals for the new grant period included systematic, chemical and ultrastructural studies with plants containing glucosinolates or betalains (with special emphasis upon the function of the blue betalains) and the way their distribution in higher plants correlates with ultrastructurally-determined characters. Our analytical capabilities (including computerized GC-MS, 13C-NMR, etc.) and library of data on natural products permit the rapid analysis and identification of micro amounts of biological compounds. We are thus able to tackle a wide spectrum of projects involving the roles low-molecular compounds play in biological systems and at the same time develop new aspects of our biochemical systematics program.